Thursday, June 04, 2020

"Notes from a Small Island" by Bill Bryson - An Enlightening and Entertaining Tour Around Great Britain


Bill Bryson looks at his adopted homeland of Great Britain through two lenses. As a native American, he looks at British places and practices as a tourist might perceive them. But as someone who called England home for two decades, he had steeped himself in the culture of crumpets and "a cuppa"! So, he was also able to look at things British with a familiar sense of avuncular pride. Just prior to his planned return to America, the author scheduled a grand tour of the sceptred isle, revisiting some familiar places, and exploring roads less travelled. The resulting "Notes from a Small Island" is a delightful "memoir and Cook's tour that ranged from the chalky white cliffs of Dover to the splendid desolation of John O'Groats at the northernmost tip of Scotland.

The upshot of my reading this delightful Baedeker was the resurrection of fond memories of places I have visited in England, Scotland, and Wales. And reading about places I have not yet seen with my own eyes made me want to book a flight to Heathrow and schedule a series of walking tours. Even when Bryson looks at things British with a jaundiced eyes, it is clear that he does so as a loving critic. He is laughing with the Brits, rather than laughing at them. Several examples of his sense of irony focus on the inanities of scheduling of the British rail system. In some situations in which a desired destination was only a few miles from where Bryson found himself, the train schedule forced him to backtrack many miles and to make several transfers, or simply to throw up his hands and admit to himself: "You can't get there from here!"

Here is a sample of his grappling with British rail: "Hooton offered the world not only a mildly ridiculous name, but the dampest British Rail station I ever hope to sneeze in.  The shack-like platform waiting-rooms were dripping wet, which didn't matter a great deal as I was soaked already. With six others, I waited a small eternity for a train to Chester, where I changed for another for Llandudno." (p. 243)

If you are Anglophile, or one who simply enjoys great writing undergirded with a sharp sense of humor, you would be well served to take a stroll through the pagesof this guidebook and memoir.

Enjoy!

Al

1 comment:

  1. Is TurboTax Available on a CD?

    If you are having the question about is TurboTax available on a CD then yes users can use CD. With this, your return will be stored locally on your laptop or computer. Users can install their software on computer. When you need to prepare several returns of family or friends then CD / download product is a better value. It will allow you to e-file up to 5 federal returns. Also, there are some tax situations that TurboTax online will not cover. If you need file partnership, corporate, and estate returns then you need to get the TurboTax CD or download product.

    HOW TO KNOW ABOUT THE PROCEDURE FOR VERIZON TO SPEAK TO A HUMAN?

    If the user wishes to speak with a representative from Verizon. When calling Verizon, the user can speak with a live person. Here's a quick guide to getting started. The user should first dial +1 (800) 922-0204. Enter the pin code in the automated message. "I'd like to speak with someone right now," the user says. "Got it," the automated system says. "Could you please provide me with more information?" Say, "No." "No problem," says the user. Kindly share with me as I transfer your call." A live person will contact you as soon as possible. This explains the procedure for Verzion speak to a person.

    Why is Turbotax not working on Safari?

    The most common cause of Turbotax not downloading is if you are using the Safari browser. While there is no official statement from the company behind TurboTax that they don't support Safari, many users have reported multiple issues using Turbotax with Safari. To solve Turbotax not working on Safari, you need to upgrade your Mac or change your browser. You can use either Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox for any tax-related work. If you still face issues with Turbotax after changing your browser, try to update the browser you were using. For example, if you were using Safari and now want to use Google Chrome, go to Settings > App Store and click Update next to Google Chrome. This will ensure your computer has all necessary updates installed and check whether any software needs updating.

    Can you install TurboTax on a Windows 10?

    The answer to can you install TurboTax on a Windows 10, is yes! These are the things you need to do to install TurboTax. The first step is to download the TurboTax installation file from the TurboTax website, the second step is to run the installation file, and the third step is to enter the product key code you received via email when purchasing your software online. Now you can install turbo tax on your pc without a CD/DVD driver. If you face any issues while installing TurboTax software on windows 10, try reinstalling your operating system. If the issue persists, uninstall the previous version of your application by following the same steps mentioned above and after restarting your computer, install it again.

    ReplyDelete